Summers are here in this part of the world! For Indians, it generally means exam time for school/college going kids, followed by a summer vacation, sultry day and nights, lack of appetite, unending thirst for water and cool refreshing drinks, watermelons, mangoes, papad and pickle making marathon and ..and wait..did I mention Mangoes and pickle? Oh yeah, I did! Well that’s what today’s recipe is all about.
This is a very traditional way of making Mango pickle in Sindhi Cuisine, though not many Sindhis make this nowadays. The pickle is very easy to assemble and gets mature within 10-13 days in summer.
What makes this simple ‘ grated raw mango mixed with few basic spices ‘ an exotic looking pickle, is the way it is preserved. The ingredients are mixed and small portions of it are tied up in individual ‘potlis’ a kind of Bouquet Garni (In french ) made by using a piece of Cheese cloth or Muslin cloth. Each potli is then either tied with a string to seal its ‘mouth’ or is simply knotted. These are then preserved in an oil-water-vinegar solution for around 10-15 days (depending upon the season/temperature).
I don’t know about other Sindhis, but I was surely fascinated with this pickle during childhood days. The thrill of untying individual ‘potli’ and inhaling the intoxicating whiff of raw mangoes, nigella seeds, mustard oil and garlic cloves, the tangy-sweet flavors hitting your palate….amazing !!!
If you don’t believe, just go ahead and try this pickle. You will know what I mean 😉
Kadhukash|Gathri Pickle|Sindhi style Raw Mango pickle:
Rating
Prep time:
Total time:
- Raw mangoes (kairi) 1 kg
- Mustard oil Approx. 150 ml
- Turmeric powder 2 tsp
- Black pepper corns around 15-25 gm (more or less is ok)
- Nigella seeds (Onion seeds, kalonji) 25-30 gm
- Fennel seeds (saunf) 30-35 gm
- Red chilly powder 10 gm ( Please be careful with this, the amount required may highly vary with the type of Chilly powder used)
- Fenugreek seeds powder (grind 2 tsp fenugreek seeds to make powder)
- Asafoetida (Hing) ¾ tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Peeled garlic cloves, 1 clove for each potli, so around 27-30 cloves
- Jaggery crumbled, 2 tbsp (Optional )
- White vinegar (acetic acid) 1½ tsp
- Mustard oil 50 ml
- Boiled and cooled water (to fill the jar)
- Properly sterilized glass jar with airtight lid
- Unused, clean muslin cloth or cheese cloth cut in small squares or rectangles (I used around 10 cm by 15 cm pieces) 28-30
- Heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it cool completely. Keep aside 50 ml to add into the jar while the rest will go in the pickle.
- Boil and cool the water that will be used to fill the jar.
- Sterilize the glass jar and lid by immersing it in hot boiling water, leaving it for around 20 minutes in hot water.
- In the mean time, rinse clean, the raw mangoes with water and wipe with clean cloth to get rid of any moisture on surface. Note that raw mangoes should be firm.
- Peel and grate mangoes. Mix all the ingredients listed under "for pickle" except garlic.We generally add one garlic clove each, in every potli.
- Place a small portion of this mixture on each muslin cloth piece and tie a potli sealing the contents inside.You can either tie a knot with the ends of cloth or just tie the 'mouth' of potli with a clean thread.
- Remove the glass jar and lid from hot water and wipe it dry with a clean cloth.The more you work in sterile conditions, lesser the chances of the pickle getting spoiled by bacteria.
- Mix cooled water, vinegar and mustard oil to make a kind of dilute Vinaigrette.Fill the jar with this solution.
- Place the potlis carefully in the jar and make sure that they are completely immersed in solution.If not, just press them slightly with a fork or spoon.
- The pickle matures in around 10-15 days, depending upon the climatic conditions.
- To serve, just pick one potli out of the jar, untie it and relish this traditional Sindhi pickle.My favorite part of this pickle is the sweetish, tangy, pickled clove of garlic in each serving 🙂
which raw mango should be used to make this achar
Rajapuri kairi works best but you can use Desi kairi or even Totapuri Kairi.
Hello Alka,
I live out of India, do you know any ladies in Mumbai, who can make this achar for me? I will pay and have it collected if there are some persons who do this, and coming from you will be good quality .
You can check Insta profile of ‘Sindh in a jar’ and maybe they can deliver where ever you want. Also there is a website Kokee.in and they too deliver pan India.
Do let me know if you can get through these, else I can connect you with some other sources.
Kadukash bheendi if iput only little vinegar and I dont add water than it will not get spoiled and it can be preserved
I loved this!!! reminds me of childhood.. and my granny.. :D:D
Hi, how can we make this without the potli
Absolutely. Just fill the jar with the pickle leaving a head space and then pour some heated and cooled mustard oil. The oil floating above the pickle will reduce the chances of pickle getting spoiled.
Nice mango pickle. I love pickles and can hardly wait to try out anything new..
You have tempted me beyond words, Alka!!! That lil potli full of pickle looks AMAZING! I have never seen or heard of this pickle and I am really tempted to try it at home. It’s pity that you don’t live next door 🙂
This is such an exotic looking pickle. Never seen anything like this. Flavors are familiar but the whole concept is just so beautiful 🙂
Even I love those picked garlic cloves especially in lemon pickle. Your pickle recipe sounds fantastic!
Wow!! This does look exotic and delicious!! I have never seen anything like this before!!!
Wow what an amazing way to preserve pickle.